Curated by: Rea Lynn de Guzman

Root Division

Exhibition Dates: January 9 - February 9, 2019

The immigrant, immortal woman from the island of Themyscira, "Wonder Woman" embodies iconic feminine strength in the DC comic series. As an Amazonian-American fictional heroine, she blends into a foreign society to promote justice, peace, and truth. When describing her essence in short form, DC states, “Torn between a mission to promote peace and her own warrior upbringing, Wonder Woman fights evil while hoping to unlock the potential of a humanity she doesn’t always understand.”

Correspondingly, many immigrant women of color artists evoke Wonder Woman-esque qualities in their contemporary artistic practices by addressing issues of immigration, misrepresentation, stereotypes, cultural conflict and feelings of acceptance or intolerance with an honest voice to fight for equality.

Wander Woman features works by Bay Area, women of color artists with immigrant backgrounds, who vary in professional backgrounds from emerging to established. Inspired by shared-yet-dissimilar psychological experiences of immigration and assimilation to the Bay Area, the artists present nuanced and intricate perspectives that transcend boundaries.

M.O.B. / Mail Order Brides, Baharak Khaleghi and Behnaz Khaleghi, Elena Patiño

M.O.B. / Mail Order Brides - Manananggoogle, 2013-ongoing. Video, 9 minutes 39 seconds

Pantea Karimi - Suspended Healing Garden, 2019. Cutout papers, printed texts, threads and rods, 5’ x 5’ x 16’

Pantea Karimi - Suspended Healing Garden (detail)

Pantea Karimi - Suspended Healing Garden, Cynthia Brannvall - Continents

Cynthia Brannvall - Continents, 2014-2016. Vintage and antique textiles painted on stretched crinoline, 68” x 154”

Cynthia Brannvall - Continents (detail)

Irene Carvajal - Topographic Threads, Takako Matoba - Person, Opening, Charmaine Koh - h-o-m-e

Greta Liz Anderson - No Ma Dic, 2019. Performance with pencil, handmade garment and scissors, 30 minutes

Charmaine Koh - h-o-m-e, 2018. Video, 1 minute 27 seconds

Takako Matoba - Person, 2015 ; Opening, 2018. Archival pigment ink, kozo paper, beeswax, metal and monofilament thread, 75” x 15” each

Takako Matoba - Person, Opening (detail)

Takako Matoba & Minoosh Zomorodinia - Two Rivers, 2019. Performance with projection, 10 minutes

Kristiana Chan with missTANGQ - Inherited Luminescence, 2018. Wood and paper-cut lanterns, multimedia video and audio

Kristiana Chan with missTANGQ - Inherited Luminescence (detail)

Elena Patiño - Color Migration, 2019. Felt and metal pins

Pallavi Sharma - The Cloud Messenger, Indrani Ashe - My Goddess Gave Birth to a Goddess, Anoushka Mirchandani - Shanti, Priya, and all the rest, Erika Gomez Henao - Unlike Me

Pallavi Sharma - Meghdoot (The Cloud Messenger), 2016. Mixed media installation

Pallavi Sharma & Shailaja Dixit - Sorry Not Sorry, 2019. Performance, 10 minutes

Indrani Ashe - My Goddess Gave Birth to a Goddess, 2018. Video, 2 minutes 41 seconds

Anoushka Mirchandani - Shanti, Priya, and all the rest, 2018. Hand-carved porcelain ceramics, 12” x 8.5” x 1.5” each

Erika Gomez Henao - Unlike Me, 2016. Oil on canvas, 36” x 30”

Indrani Ashe - My Goddess Gave Birth to a Goddess, Anoushka Mirchandani - Shanti, Priya, and all the rest, Erika Gomez Henao - Unlike Me, Amanda Lee - Homeland

Trinidad Escobar - Crushed, Literary Reading, 10 minutes

Baharak Khaleghi and Behnaz Khaleghi - Corporeal Couture, 2018. Soft Sculpture, 80” x 47” x 34”

Baharak Khaleghi and Behnaz Khaleghi - Eternal Laughter, 2019. Performance with soft sculpture, 5 minutes

HuiMeng Wang - When I look at the Unfulfilled Desires of a Mother I am Looking at Decay Itself, 2019. Installation and performance, 180 minutes

HuiMeng Wang - When I look at the Unfulfilled Desires of a Mother I am Looking at Decay Itself (detail)

O.M. France Viana - Ube Trade, 2019. Interactive performance, 120 minutes

Christabel Soto - Narcissus, 2019. Performance with self portraits, 150 minutes

Sam Cortez - Fallen Dreams, 2019. Performance with wood and wire, 15 minutes

Artists:

Greta Liz Anderson, Indrani Ashe, Cynthia Brannvall, Irene Carvajal, Kristiana Chan with missTANGQ, Sam Cortez, Shailaja Dixit, Trinidad Escobar, Erika Gomez Henao, Pantea Karimi, Baharak Khaleghi and Behnaz Khaleghi, Charmaine Koh, Amanda Lee, M.O.B. / Mail Order Brides, Takako Matoba, Anoushka Mirchandani, Elena Patino, Pallavi Sharma, Christabel Soto, O.M. France Viana, HuiMeng Wang, Minoosh Zomorodinia

Exhibition Photos: Graham Holoch